WARKWORTH - They're the kind of kitchen where many cooks don't spoil the broth or add to the confusion, but contribute instead to the fellowship.

They're community kitchens and Trent Hills now has three of them, with the third one having its official kickoff Nov. 16 at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, 20 Mill St.

Organized by the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (HKPR) District Health Unit, the community kitchens are "very important for many reasons," Cheryl McLaughlin said.

"It gets people out of the house, it gets them eating healthier foods that they maybe didn't think really about eating, (and) it gives them variety," she said. "It's introduced me to a lot of community members I maybe would have not otherwise known."

Ms. McLaughlin and her friend Samantha Brown were members of the community kitchen in Campbellford when the health unit launched the pilot program in Trent Hills. It was so successful they decided to set up one in Warkworth.

"It's just a lot of fun," Ms. McLaughlin said. "We get a lot of cooking done in a short period of time, which frees up a lot of personal time (at home)."

Using donated food the health unit has obtained from multiple sources, the community kitchen is a big help to the family budget, said the mother of two children. "It's not cheap to live these days ... (especially) when you have a growing family."

"It's quite a bit of food to take home (and freeze for future consumption)," Ms. Brown said. "You're going to be able to feed your family a couple of nights."

The free community kitchens are held the first and third Fridays of the month, from 11:30 to 2 p.m. at Warkworth and Campbellford (Christ Church Anglican), while the one at the Hastings civic centre begins at 9:30 a.m.

Most of the food comes from the Food 4 All Northumberland warehouse in Cobourg and includes fruits, vegetables, eggs, powdered milk and canned goods - "a lot of the things I would need to show people how to cook and stretch their food dollar, and be healthier at the end," said Pat Stuckless, a HKPR public health food worker.

Other sources include the Salvation Army, food banks and private donations.

"We do try to keep it simple with basic ingredients that are easily accessible," she said.

Participants "learn to cook from scratch," using Canada's food guide, rather than rely on processed food items with higher amounts of sodium and sugar.

"In a lot of cases that skill has been lost, especially with busy families, they just don't have the time," Ms. Stuckless said.

There are currently six people enrolled in the Warkworth community kitchen, which "we'll expand in the new year once we know how many we think we can handle in the group," Ms. Brown said.

"We are trying to keep it as open as possible to seniors, singles, families," Ms. McLaughlin said. "Everybody deserves a full belly."

"It's been a nice community effort," Ms. Stuckless said, with the two churches and the municipality donating space and Busy Bee from the Baptist Church in Campbellford, providing casserole dishes and kitchen equipment.

Anyone can join.

"We're not targeting anybody in particular," she said. "We would like families with children (to pass on what has been learned) but even grandparents can pass it onto grandchildren," she said.

It's "a diverse group (and) not everybody is necessarily struggling."

Those who come are "just amazed at how much you can stretch your food dollar."

To learn more about community kitchens or to make a donation, such as a grocery store gift card, call Ms. Stuckless at 1-866-888-4577.